Post Big Boss win,IPL ensured spotlight for Vindoo

His proximity to top-brass in the cricket world and Bollywood helped him gain trust of bookies.

Vindoo Dara Singh was like any other star kid living in Juhu. It wasn’t difficult for him to schmooze his way into the periphery of the Bollywood-heavy Kolkata Knight Riders camp,and become a fixture at their matches. His career took off after he won the reality show Bigg Boss in 2009,and soon enough,he was seen hobnobbing with the high-and-mighty of the IPL at after-parties. This season at the Chepauk stadium,he was seen seated next to Sakshi Dhoni,wife of the Chennai Super Kings skipper. Investigators who have arrested him in connection to the IPL spot-fixing probe insist that his proximity to the top-brass in the cricket world and Bollywood helped him gain the trust of bookies.

Virendra Dara Singh Randhawa,the fifth of wrestler-turned-actor Dara Singh’s six children,was born in 1964. A Juhu resident,he went to Jamnabai Narsee School and had for friends the likes of Ajay Devgn,Sajid Khan and Sajid Nadiadwala. “So it was only natural that he aspired to become an actor,” recounts a school friend.

His debut in Karan (1994),however,failed to impress and the industry’s lack of interest in casting him as leading man drove his father to direct him in the Punjabi movie Rab Dian Rakhan (1996). While this attempt too met with a lukewarm response,Dara Singh’s contacts in the Punjabi film industry kept projects coming Vindoo’s way.

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While he hung out with members of the film industry,only actor Salman Khan continued to recommend Vindoo to directors. He featured in supporting roles in Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya (2005) and Partner (2007) but recognition came only after he was invited to participate in season 3 of Bigg Boss.

“Work came in steady after he won that season,” says Sunny Shah,who was Vindoo’s manager till recently. “He got regular movie offers to work alongside friends like Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn and he did Kambakht Ishq,Housefull,Housefull 2 and Son of Sardar. He would get invited to events and openings and has since done several television appearances,including as a judge on talent reality show Chak Dhoom Dhoom and Laughter Ka Master.”

The new-found recognition perhaps gave Vindoo a regular ticket to IPL post-match parties,especially those hosted by KKR. But the franchise have said that he had no official association with them. “I have no idea who he is. What I can assure you that he was never with the team. If he is a friend to an individual or some individuals,I’m not aware of that,” says Joy Bhattacharya,KKR adviser,content development and marketing.

While some who have known him are not surprised by news of his arrest,Vindoo’s friends from the Bigg Boss house find it difficult to believe that he could have any involvement in spot-fixing. “He is family to me. A gentle giant. This can’t be true,” says designer Rohit Verma.

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